Take 5 #4 Playing is the new Resting
When was the last time you ever play (gaming, reading, crafting, and sports)? Last week? Yesterday?
Were you fully concentrating in those moments of play? Or were your mind flooded with thoughts of work, worries about assignment, or the household chores?
So if you were and are always disturbed by these thoughts during your playtime, you are not alone. It is totally valid, because we are always trying to make ourselves productive. We have been taught by media, schools or business books to always be on the ball; make every second counts; no time-wasting; work till wee morning. And if we are tired as a result, it means good; it means that we are working!
We, therefore, are afraid to play too. We have been taught from young that playing is not productive or enriching. It is a naughty behavior. We also assume that by playing, we are not resting. So we rather sleep to recharge. We ended up only either working very hard, or sleep very much. So much for our typical weekends. And the funny thing is, we get more tired after sleeping.
So does that mean we do not sleep? But if we do not sleep, what shall we do? Work some more? Actually to recharge more meaningfully, sleep is not the only way out. Play does.
Dr. Stuart Brown mentioned in this book – Play: How it shapes the brain, opens the imagination and invigorates the soul, that play is apparently without purpose. This means that you are playing for the sake of playing. No other thoughts of work, school and home stuff. You are in a state of flow, fully engaged with the process. The benefits of play are that it strengthens our empathy, builds connections, and brings about creativity. Playing helps us to build up the capabilities and resilience through the play thing we are doing, increases personal mastery.
Do you remember those times when you met a bottleneck doing crafts, figuring out how to piece the puzzles or climbing up the wall-mountain? Were you not fully concentrating on the challenges and brainstorming ways to win over it? It was tedious and frustrating, yet an enjoyment to be in the situation, right? Once you have overcome with it, you do not feel tired, but invigorated by a sense of achievement and alive-ness, right?
I am not against resting such as sleeping or napping. They are essentials. We need to be quiet at times. Otherwise, over-playing ends up being the same as over-working. What I hope we can understand that playing is as recharging as resting and that playing is enriching to the body, soul and mind.
So start playing. Learn a new hobby or continue to play with a hobby once a week, after work or during weekend. Just enjoy that moment. Do not care or compare yourself with other people or experts, if you are new to the hobby. The process of learning itself will be fun and you may get to explore your potential you have yet to see. There is no end to the work. But there is a life-limit to playing. So what are you waiting for?
